The Flywheel

Program for AUGUST 17th

Pat Coleman, Director of the National Institute for
Art and Disabilities (NIAD)

NIAD strives to help people with developmental and
other physical disabilities to develop the capacity for
creative expression, and so increase their sense of personal
identity and pride.

NIAD also increases the public's understanding
of the artistic ability of people with disabilities.
Its director, Pat Coleman, will tell us how the organization
meets these objectives.

MEETING OF August 10th, 2007

Welcome, Invocation, Thought for the Day

Prez Pam rang the bell and got Raphael
Cartaegna to do the Pledge of

Allegiance. Henry Kelman shared his
thought for August, “It’s almost football
season and a good reason to site in front of the television
on Sunday.” Joe Nusbaum observed
a moment of silence for peace and freedom around the
world.

Rotarians with Guests

Cory “the Kid” Lawrence introduced
his guest Jonathan Oyay whom we believe
works with Cory a Cushman and Wakefield.

Sunshine Report

David K., besides noting that the
fishing is so bad that he is going to Montana to find
water with fish in it said that Jim “the
Beav” Beaver a heart problem, a little
surgery and he is up and about now. David K will have
a card for The Beav next week, but you don’t
have to wait.

Elof Granberg is doing better and
plans to go for a walk and will be leaving at Summer
View Manor soon.

David K. didn’t know the where-abouts of Charlie
Wong and otherwise wishes him well.

David K. also wondered quizzically about Sid
Chauvin, wondering if he has gotten out
of jail yet. (???)

Werner Schwarz is still “operating
the car wash” and is going in for a biopsy this
week.

Last but not least, while the real David K. is in Montana,
the new David K will be Bill “Bill K” Koziol. If
you have any Sunshine or Shadow reports, give Bill K.
a call.

Announcements

Glenn Daggs is circulating the sign-up
list for $100 Peres Teacher Support contributions.

Red Badge rookie Bill “Bill K” Koziol that
the new member social hosted by Barbara M. at
the new Draper & Esquin facility was great. Bill
K was particularly impressed how friendly the Rotarians
are. Bill K’s girl friend was impressed
too especially by friendly X-Prez George Egan.

Raphael Magdalena has raffle tickets
at $100/pack for the District 5160 Fund Raiser and
admission tickets to Rotary Fun Day at Marine Flags
Six Worlds in Vallejo, October 6th.

Recognitions

A more dandy than usual Dandy Don Lau launched
into recognitions by calling on Mike Winter. Mike
admitted that August 7th was his 47th wedding anniversary. Mike
tested anniversary 48 by not mentioning Cindy by name,
but we’re certain she had something to do with
it. The Winter’s celebrated a couple of summer
days in wine country and by making a $100 contribution
to the Rotary Foundation.

Happy and Sad Dollars

Dandy Don then took the meeting into Happy and Sad
Dollar land.

Monique Le Conge had a Happy $5
for a nice trip to Hawaii now over.

Richmond Chamber of Commerce ED Judy Morgan had
a Happy $5 for the upcoming Home Front Festival By
The Bay at the end of September and the 12 page ad
in “The West County Marketplace” magazine
about the event. Judy gave both Erle and Herb
a run for the “dollar-a-word” title but
really plugged the USO Dance at the Ford Crane way
Saturday night Sept. 29th.

Jim Young had Happy $$ for Judy’s
announcement and segwayed from the USO dance to an
open invitation to the members to practice their dance
steps, Thursday nights starting August 23rd, 7:30 – 9:00
PM at Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave.
in Kensington. The dance class is a gift from
Jim and Linda to the community and is free for the
first 10 couples that show up.

Nick Despota had Happy $$ — actually
an addendum to the Sunshine Report— for signing a contract
for the installation of solar panels on the roof of
house. A sunny outlook indeed.

Commander Richie Brandes had Happy
$$ for a nice vacation to Portugal and a serendipitous
continuation first class flight on to India. Rich
also had fond memories of an absolutely spectacular
first ever Richmond Rotary Regatta and picnic at Angle
Island, including the dedication of the Angle Island
Past District Governor lavatory facilities (behind
the bus).

Markku Pelanne had Happy $$ for
his son’s beginning adventure in Nigeria where
he went on a visit and has decided to stay for a year
of work and, well adventure. Also for his nephew
who just began school at UCSD.

Herb “dollar-a-word” Cole had
Happy $$$ for the article about Markku Pelanne he
saw in “”National Geographic” (please
share that article Herb) and the upcoming Rotary
trip to Monterey Mexico January 16 – 20. Yes,
applications for the trip, which will deliver wheelchairs
and visit the Red Cross Clinic are still available.

Bob Dabney had Happy $$ for the
Opportunity West Fundraiser and Music Festival on Saturday
the 11th at Maples Hall in SP. If you’re
reading about it for the first time here you missed
it, but Bob is still taking donation on behalf of Opportunity
West at least that’s what he says the donations
are for.

The Erle of Brown had Happy $$ for
relinquishing back the “dollar-a-word” title
to the undisputed champ, Herb Cole (‘nuff
said).

Jan “Jan B. Nimble” Brown had
Happy $$ in an, “after you my dear Alfonse”,
for both Nick Despota and Judy
Morgan and the Chamber staff for all the great
publicity and effort going into the Home Front Festival.

Charlie Fender had Happy $$ for
a just ended great three week vacation that included
a canal boat trip on the Erie Canal in New York and
a visit to Chautauqua, a summer festival of lectures,
music and discussion of ideas and current events. Chautauqua
is an Iroquois word that means “dollar-a-word”.

Nabel “Bill” Wabeh and Dandy
Don Lau himself both had Happy $$$ for something
but your Editor was writing so fast he can not now
make out what it was. Sorry guys.

Raffle Results

Mike Winter, still celebrating 47 years of being lucky
at love, now tries his had at the $100 raffle. Shucks, Mike’s
still lucky at love as he got a white ball, free lunch
and the $100 stays in the kitty for another day.

THE PROGRAM

Dr. Martha Campbell: Human Population and Fertility
Issues

Jim Young introduced today’s Program Speaker Dr.
Martha Campbell. Dr. Campbell was accompanied by
her husband Dr. Malcolm Potts. The Campbell-Potts
are both professors at Cal and specialize in human population
and fertility issues. Dr. Campbell is also the president
of Venture Strategies for Health and Development, a Berkeley
non-profit research group that specializes in human population
and fertility issues. Dr. Campbell comes to use via
the Rotary International convention in Salt Lake City as
they were sponsored guests of Rotarian Action Group for
Population and Development ( www.rifpd.org ),
which also awarded both Drs. Campbell and Potts their Paul
Harris Fellows.

Dr. Martha launched into a presentation of population
fact and policies with information density one might
expect in a first year med student anatomy class. Your
Flywheel Editorial Board feel the presentation was so
valuable and important to consider we will be posting
the entire PowerPoint presentation on the “Flywheel
Connections” page so that you can review it at
a pace that assures consideration and understanding.

Dr. Martha advanced the radical idea that current wisdom
regarding the “economic” origins of high
and low birth rates is wrong. That common idea
is that poor cultures have many children to promote family
economic well being and that wealthy cultures have few
children because they have achieved economic well being
or security. Dr. Martha and Venture Strategies
advances the thesis that a woman’s individual ability
to control fertility and reproduction is what creates
high or low birth rates. Cultures that provide women
with the ability to control fertility and birth have
low birth rates and cultures that do not or can not provide
or allow women to control their fertility and pregnancies
have high birth rates. (Anyone who doesn’t
understand why this is a really radical idea can see
your Editor after the next meeting.)

Other examples of the high points of Dr. Martha’s
presentation included:

An example of current population growth is the fact
that India’s population increases by a net 1,000,000
every three weeks.

By 2050, depending on the rate of current growth,
the human population on Earth will be between 7.5 and
10.5 billion people with 9 billion the likely number. Current
world population is 6.5 billion.

Population growth has dropped of the landscape of
political issues for a number of reasons including;
very low birth rates in Europe and Japan; the aids
epidemic; racial bias; political and religious conservatism
in many cultures.

Dr. Martha’s presentation was followed by a lively
Q&A including:

Q = “What about Islamic Cultures?” A = “They’re
all over the map. Islam does not have a centralized
doctrine or administrative structure and it is interpreted
differently in different places. Also the Koran
is the only major world religious text that sanctions
birth control.”

Unfortunately we again run out of time for “The
Flywheel”. So if you want to hear the good
stuff at Rotary like my Pappy used to say, “Be
there”. But a big thank you to Dr. Campbell
for sharing her cutting edge ideas with Richmond Rotary. STAY
TUNED FOR THE CAMPBELL POPULATION PRESENTATION IN THE “FLYWHEEL
CONNECTIONS”.